Missing B.C. climber’s father reports his son is dead in Alaska

The family of missing British Columbia rock climber Marc-Andre Leclerc is reporting on social media that Leclerc and his climbing companion have died while attempting a new route on a mountain in Alaska.

Serge Leclerc posted the message on his public Facebook page late Tuesday night but offered no details.

He says two great climbers have been lost and he lost a son he is really proud of.

Twenty-four-year-old Marc-Andre Leclerc of Squamish and his 34-year-old climbing companion Ryan Johnson of Juneau hadn’t been heard from since March 5 when they posted a photo from the top of the Mendenhall Towers, about 20 kilometres north of Juneau.

Poor weather hampered search efforts when the men were reported overdue later that week but crews were able to search the north face of the mountain on Tuesday.

Further information from a spokesperson for the Alaska State Troopers is expected later.